Still at it........Updated 9/10

[5spd]

So Im out today making coyote/badger/buzzard ready to eat meals again.
This town is about 1/2 mile from my original spots and I have to hike down a few hills & valleys, across 2 creeks, up another hill that overlooks the other p-dog town which is over a mile long.
Im finally there at 630 am, and start shooting till about 8am, the wind picks up and is steady from the west and I hate shooting cross wind and will move into or with it when I can.
I decide to hike into the wind to the far end of the town which I have not been to this year yet and have only been into this one 2x counting today, due to the massive amounts of varmints its just drop and shoot till you run out of ammo or melt the barrels!
I make my way back up the the blind side of the hill, walking just below the crest and bust out a 6 point mulie as well as 10 or so Antelope in the brush, my shooting did not faze them as usual since they were all just feeding away, none ran past 400 yards into the hills & arroyos.
I make it to far side and have to walk through a corner to get to a flatter high spot so I can proceed to remove what I can.
Well right off I know they have never been shot at since very few even run or duck besides the ones 50 yards from me.
Ha...you guys are in for a surprise!
I proceeded to run 180 rounds in a steady stream of fire from that spot and never shot past 200 yards max with 90% at 100+/- yds. I do this working my way back to the truck 2 miles from me at this point.
While about 1/2 way back I bust a mulie doe out of the brush just on the other side of the creek that looks to be a perfect home for them, very lush & green for about 1/4 mile in the bottom land along the creeks. Looks more like Whitetail area than Mulie! So what else happens after I decide to hike into it.....gobble gobble. I move out 3 hens & 1 tom since it fluffed up when I yelped at it along with at least 10 young ones. I was trying to grab the digi and take a pic fast with out dropping my pack & gun, sorry about the focus!
I sure am glad to see turkeys since the last yeasr clutches were pretty much non existant on the ranch according to the manager.
I do count about 40 or so antelope total, last year there were at least 150 in this area.
I planned ahead this time and had my barrel camo cover that I kept soaked with water to keep the heat off the bbl. instead of wasting my water on by just pouring it on it.
Overall I think I had a good day and glad I explored a bit.
I just realized my picture stamps dates are not correct for today....time to recheck my digi settings!

 

[MrMajestic]

Still at it........

Good day for you! I managed Groundhog #47 for the season today while working with my 20" Full Bull .17 Ackley Hornet barrel on my Contender rifle at the range. It was right after the earthquake and he ran across the at 73 yards and hesitated before entering the brush. Fatal mistake that proved more lethal than the quivering ground! I shoved a 20 grain V-max laden case in the chamber, hinged it closed, found it's shoulder in my sights and sent one. I am absoulutly amazed at this cartridge, fueled by 12 grains of powder pushing that bullet to 3575 fps. It was a large chuck in the 8-10 lb. range but is was no match for that tiny bullet and went straight down with only a slight 1/4 roll. I didn't do an autopsy but there was no obvious exit wound and no blood on the entrance to verify it!
Okay, the reason for this rant is that when you expect fast sub-300 yard action take a look at this caliber. Barrel temperatures increase very slowly due to the small amount of powder used and even in my Contender 3/4 MOA is common place.

 

[00Scot]

Still at it........

Sounds like an amazing day out and about 5spd. You saw more wild life then I see in an entire season here in Californiastan. I cant even imagine that much life all in one place. I envy you sir!

 

[bheadboy]

Still at it........

I see you arein Wy, and i am in the ne area of wy a good bit and am bless tosee the mixture of game as you. a great day

Bob

 

[5spd]

Still at it........

Today I was at the same spot, hiked in at 5am dark, waited till the sun came up and then they came out in force, in 3 weeks of shooting in this area I have not made a dent it seems....just more & more come out.
1st shot was at 5:45 am, sun just starting to rise in the east.
I was set up above them on the hills and shooting down into them and along the side hills from 50yd to 500+ today.
I was dialed in at 400 after cleaning the close ones (so I thought) and started long rangeing, with my dials at 6.5 in elevation I was holding 2.5 mils up and 1.5 left due to wind and kicking them off at who knows what that range was!
I do know it was just shy of the bottom land in the creek way out there...that was fun & they never knew what was hitting them that far away.
From the picture those trees in the creek bottom are about 500 yards from my point. Now if you pan right and see where it starts to slope up at the base of the hills almost to the edge of the picture thats where I was mil-dotting into.

 

[5spd]

Same area different overlook on some of the towns.
Whacked em hard again today.
Called 3 coyotes today after not hearing a sound from them in 5 weeks. Im glad they are still some around after taking 6 out of here last year. They came in from 3 directions all rally barking & I was doing the same barking. Saw them way down in the creek headed away, so I think at least one saw me on top of the hill.
That bottom land about 800 yards down the slope is their runway to all the p-dog towns for 3 miles.
That dark clump of green way out there center left a tad is where I was shooting last 3 weeks. Thats a 30 minute hike.

 

[vernahll2]

Luck seems to be on your side and you're having some great shooting days too.